Shen Yun

 

*

Dress: Aje embroidered organza, cotton

Heels: Django & Juliette via Styletread leather

Bag: Olga Berg via David Jones vinyl

Bangle Stack: Gift, vintage Mexican silver

Bangle: Gift, 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles vintage silver

Bracelet: Gift, Kellie's Antiques Victorian silver, filigree

Headpiece: La Plume de Fleur via Etsy faux florals

*

Finally sharing all the beautiful pictures of the outfit I wore to attend a mesmerising performance of Shen Yun when they recently visited Australia! For those who may not know, Shen Yun is a nonprofit performing arts & entertainment company (based in America) & operated by the religious movement Falun Gong that revives & celebrates Ancient China's rich cultural heritage through dance, traditional instruments, storytelling & song. It's a feast for the eyes & honestly, so divine in terms of talent, dedication & costuming that it brings tears to your eyes. This year's performance was a display of goodness, wisdom & faith & definitely did not disappoint... Honestly, there's just nothing else like it & I cannot wait for next year!

For the occasion, I styled up this gorgeous pink floral embroidered organza puff-sleeve midi dress with its ruffled v-neckline, tiered hem & self-tie belt (complete with soft cotton lining for comfort) from celebrated Australian designer Aje with a pair of chunky blush pink leather strappy heels from Django & Juliette via Styletread's online emporium, a boxy blush vinyl handbag by Olga Berg that I found at David Jones a few years ago to wear to my brother & sister-in-law's wedding & some of my favourite silver jewellery pieces - a stack of vintage Mexican silver bangles that some friends brought back from a trip, a single heavy silver vintage bangle from 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles (formerly Coolangatta, now Tweed Heads) that my brother gave me for a birthday gift & a chunky antique Victorian belcher bracelet with oversized filigree heart locket & teeny tiny little lock from (sadly now closed) Kellie's Antiques in the historic Brisbane Arcade that a dearly now-departed friend gifted me for my 30th birthday - for that touch of shine. The final beautiful detail was a stunning faux flower crown from the lovely La Plume de Fleur - via Etsy - with roses in shades of blush pink & cream, greenery & native gumnuts.

Scroll down to see more...

Cleo

 

*

Dress: Sacha Drake embroidered mesh, satin

Slingbacks: Gorman vegan metallic leather

Bag: Sussan woven paper

Bangle: Gift, Metropolitan Museum of Art Gift Shop silver, gold

*

Those who know me well in real life or are long-time readers of this blog will already be aware that as well as fashion & antiquing, I absolutely adore archaeology, paleontology & anthropology, so was obviously elated to be invited to an event celebrating all things Cleopatra, Ptolemaic Queen of Egypt from 51-30 BC, shrewd political operator & famed lover of Mark Antony... with one of the most bizarre (alleged) suicides - by asp! of all things - in the ancient world. For the occasion, I decided to dress with an Ancient Egyptian sensibility in mind (clearly tweaked for modern sentiments, of course) with a stunning floral embroidered mesh shift dress in metallic gold & light green with darker green satin slip beneath, embroidered straps (added by me) & a tie belt from Australian designer Sacha Drake, metallic gold vegan leather slingbacks from Gorman for a touch of daytime shine, a green woven paper shoulder bag from Sussan to carry all the essentials & a single silver & gold scarab hinged bangle from the Metropolitan Museum of Art gift shop in the 1990s that a dear friend brought back & decided to pass on to me.

Scroll down to see more...

Keep scrolling for flatlay pictures...

A Rose Among Cardigans

 

*

Dress: Sheike ramie, grosgrain ribbon

Cardigan: Kmart acrylic wool, resin

Heels: Jo Mercer leather, laces

Bag: Kitten D'Amour woven straw, resin

Cuff: Gift, Disney Couture silver

Ring: Gift, Disney Couture silver, suede

*

If you happen to read the fashion magazines & peruse social media, you've probably already noticed that cardigans are a really big trend this season. That's a really good thing for us here in South East Queensland because it's an easy way to "winterise" our warmer-weather dresses & get more wear out of the pre-existing pieces in our wardrobe! Case in point: this stunning rose printed ramie maxi dress with sweetheart neckline & tiered hem (grosgrain ribbon tie strap added by me) from Sheike that I've styled up here to attend a ballet performance in my beloved River City. I added a chunky, acrylic wool green knitted cardigan from K Mart - purchased in an xxs size for a cropped silhouette - to ward off the chill in the air, donned a pair of black leather lace-up heels from Jo Mercer for a modicum of height & carried a natural wovens straw handbag with black resin beaded handle from Kitten D'Amour to carry all the essentials while adding a bohemian touch. When it came to jewellery, I chose to go all-in with whimsical Disney Couture pieces - a "knives, forks & spoons" silver cuff & matching silver top hat with black suede band from the "Alice in Wonderland" range - to complete the look.

Scroll down to see the cardigan in question...

Tale As Old As Time

 

*

Dress: Aje organza, lace

Heels: Ziera leather, suede

Bag: Oh Jo Jo Boutique woven straw, diamantes

Bangles: Gift, sparkles, gold, silver

*

Finally sharing all the pictures of the utterly divine pale yellow organza tiered maxi dress with elasticated under arm panels & delicate lace trim (added by me) from Australian designer label Aje, worn to a performance of the "Beauty & the Beast" musical (which was absolutely STUNNING by the way) in my beloved River City. For those familiar with the Disney film, I've dressed as an homage to heroine Belle, whose stunning yellow ballgown in the dancing scene was really a standout feature of the films I saw throughout my childhood & remains a real fashion inspiration to this very day. For the occasion, I styled it up with a pair of silver leather & suede art deco inspired kitten heels from Ziera for a modicum of height while keeping the "sweetness" of the look, carried a natural woven straw bucket bag with diamante detailing from the delightful Oh Jo Jo Boutique at the "top of town" in Ipswich & piled on a selection of sparkly gold & silver Indian bangles that a dear friend brought back from a trip to India a few years ago.

Scroll down to see the look from the back & take a peek at a few cheeky selfies while out & about...